Just came Upon Another WD Black

[Virgorising]

Hi.

Not long ago, I came upon a drive identical to my warpseed WD5002AALX I originally got used for excellent price on ebay....also on ebay. Mine is near perfect and dead silent too.

I posted re the second one.....decided to bid, but slept thru the end of the auction and lost it; it went for almost no money. I mean, like under $30 including shipping!

I just came upon another one. But, while still under warranty, it is older than the one I missed. I just emailed the obvious questions.
I don't have as good a feeling about this one as I did the one I missed, I think it has uber mileage on it. But who can be sure?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=231214090204&fromMakeTrack=true

Dear tibor_888,

Hi....

I own an identical drive, would like another. if I may ask, how quiet is this puppy (mine is dead silent) and, you haven't run SMART diagnostics on it, have you?

Many thanks!
___________________________________________
As of right now, if the vendor responds and says it is dead silent, even if he or she hasn't run diagnostics.....I might bid. Not sure yet.

 

[Deders]

You could ask them to download Argus monitor which in the smart tab tells you how many hours the drive has been on. It takes a minute or so to calculate it first time around.

 

[Ketchup]

What's the date on the one you have?

 

[Virgorising]

You could ask them to download Argus monitor which in the smart tab tells you how many hours the drive has been on. It takes a minute or so to calculate it first time around.

Hi.

I usually use the SMART option in plain old Speed Fan.....but, as I also said re the one I found and posted about not long ago---the one I slept thru---I think, asking if they have run SMART is OK, but beyond that, asking if they could/would run it, is unreasonable.

Meanwhile, I just booted this system to check to see if the vendor had responded. So, far, nothing. If they choose not to, esp re if the drive is dead silent.....for me, that would be the end of my interest.

The drive I missed, the no money one.....she responded right off, said during the wipe she heard no noise at all.

 

[Virgorising]

What's the date on the one you have?

Good question. Let me shut this system down, open the box, pull the drive and look. Cause I don't remember. As I recall, it too was still under warranty when I got it.

But, let's face it, more and more, this whole thing is a crap shoot, even with brand new drives.

I am afraid I can't get this lucky twice, tho.

Hold on....I will be back!

 

[Virgorising]

K...I am back. Opened box, pulled drive (hadda pull both, the old Seagate too), this WD Black says it was made March 18 2012.

I would like to share (he knows), the only reason I went looking for a WD black altogether, WAS.....Ketchup79 became one of my heros here early on (and, for many reasons), I looked at his system specs, saw, despite his off the hook expertise he was using a WD Black, not an SSD. That was all I needed, I immediately went hunting on eBay, ended up with this amazing drive I am writing from.....was one of the best things I ever did.

I gave $50 for this one re a best offer. She was asking $55, there was one offer when I came upon it, clearly, it was lower than the $50.

Even more, now, my feeling about this last one I found earlier....not so good.
___________________________________________________
Edit: OK wait.....just looked at vendor's feedback; he or she seems to sell lots of HDDS, including varying WD Blacks (but not only).... and, for all, good feedback from buyers. So, now, I am back to being unclear. I will wait until I hear back re the noise issue. Assuming I will.

If I don't, Deal breaker, cause, would mean, at the very least, the drive is not dead silent as is MINE, or else the vendor would have said, Yes, it is dead silent jus like yours, bid on it!
____________________________________________________

I got mine in, I think, in November....so it was 18 mos old then! Just a baby. This last one I found was made in November of 2010. I take care of my computers, I know from first hand experience, not everyone does.

 

[Z15CAM]

I run two WD5001AALS's 32MB in RAID-0 for a Video Encoding Studio and Playground for whatever. I bought 2 of them off eBay and paid $28 a peace for them. For $60 to have 1TB RAID-0 factor who can go wrong with that plus the WD500(1)2AALX have a reputation for being rugged. According to my Serial#'s I have another 2 yrs for RMA.

Before bidding, ask the Vender for their Serials and Check WD Site for there RMA Status.

I believe the 2AAL's are 2 platter and the 1AAL's are single platter.

 

[Ketchup]

K...I am back. Opened box, pulled drive (hadda pull both, the old Seagate too), this WD Black says it was made March 18 2012....

OK, well since the one in the ad is 2010 and is a 2AALX, I don't know, might want to wait for a single. If the one you have now is, you might be a little disappointed with a dual-platter.

 

[Compman55]

I have two of the single platter 5001AALS they are not silent. The spindle motor is nice and silent, but the head seeking is not.

They are rugged though. Running 24/7 since 2010

 

[Ketchup]

I have two of the single platter 5001AALS they are not silent. The spindle motor is nice and silent, but the head seeking is not.

They are rugged though. Running 24/7 since 2010

OK, I have to check on what mine is now, because I can't hear it.

 

[Virgorising]

OK, I have to check on what mine is now, because I can't hear it.

This....is hilarious.:biggrin:

As you deserved, you got an uber one! And I did as well, tho used! More than ever, this is unnervingly drive-specific.....I mean, WITHIN A GIVEN MODEL.

 

[Virgorising]

I have two of the single platter 5001AALS they are not silent. The spindle motor is nice and silent, but the head seeking is not.

They are rugged though. Running 24/7 since 2010

First, your single platters ARE UBER, tho not the same drive as my Black as U know. Second, before I bid on mine, I delved, found some complaints re noise on Newegg, but my instinct was to bid on mine anyhow. No two drives are the same.

My instinct proved accurate. AGAIN, my AALX ---writing from it now---is DEAD SILENT. Even with the box open......dead silent.

 

[Virgorising]

OK, well since the one in the ad is 2010 and is a 2AALX, I don't know, might want to wait for a single. If the one you have now is, you might be a little disappointed with a dual-platter.

But, Ketchup, mine is the identical drive: WD5002AALX!

But the age part, is what is holding me back.....I heard back from the vendor, pls see below.

 

[Virgorising]

I run two WD5001AALS's 32MB in RAID-0 for a Video Encoding Studio and Playground for whatever. I bought 2 of them off eBay and paid $28 a peace for them. For $60 to have 1GB RAID-0 factor who can go wrong with that plus the WD500(1)2AALX have a reputation for being rugged. According to my Serial#'s I have another 2 yrs for RMA.

Before bidding, ask the Vender for their Serials and Check WD Site for there RMA Status.

I believe the 2AAL's are 2 platter and the 1AAL's are single platter.

That was amazing bargain! Yes, mine is dual platter, identical to this new one I am considering.

 

[Virgorising]

Heard back from vendor, very nice person, but he or she has yet to run SMART and under an hour left in auction, three individuals bidding. I think this individual one does not call out to me/have my name on it.

Dear xxxxxx,

I can verify, as you noted, that the drive is very quiet. Have not run SMART diag but will try to in the morning and let you know.

- tibor_888
_________________________________

Hi,

Thanks, and very kind of you. Esp given mine was made Mar 18 2012, and the one you are offering is older, so, SMART would help me decide if I should bid.

Jill
_____________________________________

Drive is now just under $31 (plus shipping), my take is it will end up in the 40s........I am going to pass on this one, let one of the 3 existing bidders get it....be patient until a twin I feel is right for me appears.

 

[Virgorising]

Hold on....update!

This is pretty amazing vendor, just got mail saying he or she had run SMART.....hope this is big enuff to see, looks better than I expected, as old as this puppy is.

Notice he or she failed to get rid of an existing partition tho!!! Correction, I was looking at the vendor's main drive.....this one is properly wiped and empty.

 

[Virgorising]

K....my heart is not fully in this cause of the age of the drive, tho I was impressed by the SMART .....I just placed modest bid tho; my take is someone is going to snipe in the last 20 seconds. If not, my amazing one will have a friend adjacent to it to replace the current Seagate or one of my other 8 cache WDs I use as backup.

 

[Virgorising]

OMG. I got snipped in the last SECOND!!!!! One of the underbidders sniped with $46. I am not kidding, IN THE LAST SECOND. So, it went for just a bit more than I gave for the one I am writing from including shipping.

For the last 9 seconds just before the SNIPE....I actually thought I was going to win the puppy. My max bid was $33.79.

Is OK......only cause it is much older than mine. But that was a little scary.....the last second snipping.

Item number:

231214090204

Item Title: Western Digital 500GB Caviar Black Hard Drive WD5002AALX SATA 6.0 Gb/sWinning bid:US $46.00Shipping:US $5.80


I will be patient until another puppy like mine comes along.

So many thanks for all the feedback in this!!!!

 

[Virgorising]

One more......even tho mine is double platter, it is very, VERY FAST!!!! VERY. Fastest drive I ever had.....also, the most silent. And, it runs cool.

I need to recover now from the last second snipping. Just like that scene from Capt Phillips re the Navy Seals, OMG.

But I just checked, and my brains are not all over my KB and mouse/desk......so, that's good.()

 

[WilliamM2]

One more......even tho mine is double platter, it is very, VERY FAST!!!! VERY. Fastest drive I ever had.....also, the most silent. And, it runs cool.

I need to recover now from the last second snipping. Just like that scene from Capt Phillips re the Navy Seals, OMG.

But I just checked, and my brains are not all over my KB and mouse/desk......so, that's good.()

My new 3TB Toshiba drive is almost twice as fast as my old 1TB WD Black. You really should get a drive with 1TB platters, if you insist on not using an SSD as your OS drive.

You can get a new 1TB drive for about $5 more than that used 500GB drive. With a full warranty...

 

[Virgorising]

My new 3TB Toshiba drive is almost twice as fast as my old 1TB WD Black. You really should get a drive with 1TB platters, if you insist on not using an SSD as your OS drive.

You can get a new 1TB drive for about $5 more than that used 500GB drive. With a full warranty...

Well.....truth is, I never heard any of this! Re the size of the platter and speed. I just did fast delving, came upon this:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/298413-32-faster-bigger

Tom's is a reputable site. The data offered seem to belie what you say.

Might others weigh in on this topic I know nothing about?

As it is, my 500Gb Black is only around 25% occupied.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Well.....truth is, I never heard any of this! Re the size of the platter and speed. I just did fast delving, came upon this:

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/298413-32-faster-bigger

Tom's is a reputable site. The data offered seem to belie what you say.

Might others weigh in on this topic I know nothing about?

As it is, my 500Gb Black is only around 25% occupied.

Read benchmarks.

http://www.harddrivebenchmark.net/

 

[WilliamM2]

Higher platter density is faster, regardless of some random forum post on Tom's hardware.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_storage_density

And since you like Tom's:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/1tb-hdd-storage,2563.html

 

[Virgorising]

Higher platter density is faster, regardless of some random forum post on Tom's hardware.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_storage_density

And since you like Tom's:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/1tb-hdd-storage,2563.html

That's my take as well: platter DENSITY is the issue.

But again, desperate, random cheap shot at Tom's Hardware.....which, over time has earned my respect, makes me sad.

And, never forget: respect....is earned. It will forever elude those reduced to demanding it.

 

[Virgorising]

Can anyone decode this re platter density for different models?

http://rml527.blogspot.com/2010/10/hdd-platter-database-western-digital-35_3899.html